Many computer and electronics systems include removable and/or replaceable circuit boards. Such removable circuit boards may, for example, be in the form of computer blades, cards, etc. The circuit boards are often assembled in a chassis and couple to backplanes or other circuit boards or components. Electrical coupling of the circuit board may allow circuitry on the circuit board to interact with other circuitry and/or systems. The electrical coupling necessary for such interaction usually has a mechanical aspect that is necessary to achieve and maintain proper electrical coupling between the circuit board. Additionally, the mechanical coupling of the circuit board may also protect the circuit board and/or make the circuit board less susceptible to damage. The circuit board may be electrically and/or mechanically coupled to another circuit board or component and may also be mechanically coupled to another component, such as to the chassis of the computer system or electronics equipment.
According to a common system for coupling a blade or circuit board to a chassis, a typical advanced telecommunications architecture (ATCA) blade computer uses a latch mechanism for retaining or coupling the blade in the chassis. The latching system includes two flip latches, with one being located at either end of the blade faceplate. The flip latches generally include small handles on a pivot. When the handles are pivoted to a position parallel to the faceplate of the blade, the latches may be in an engaged condition. The flip latches may be moved to a disengaged condition by pivoting the handles to a position generally perpendicular to the faceplate of the blade. This system requires the user to use both hands when installing the ATCA blade to the chassis. Additionally, while the ends of the handles may be angled outwardly, when the latch system is in an engaged condition with the handles laying parallel to the faceplate, it may be difficult to grasp and manipulate the handles to release the blade or circuit board.
The problem of accessing and manipulating the handles between an engaged and disengaged condition, or vise-versa, is exacerbated in systems including small form factor blades or circuit boards in which the size of the blade or circuit board may make it awkward or difficult to manipulate the latches. Similar difficulty may arise in systems having closely spaced blades or circuit boards in which the adjacent blades or circuit boards may make it difficult to access the latch handles of an individual circuit board. These problems may be increased by a chassis having restricted or impeded access to the blades or circuit boards.
Although the following detailed description will proceed with reference being made to particular illustrated embodiments, it should be understood that numerous variations and modifications will be apparent to those having skill in the art. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter should be interpreted broadly without limitation to the particular illustrated embodiments herein.